Jeremy Huntwork said the following on 08-12-2004 18:38:
>>http://67.87.147.92:5080/
It's nice, simple and clean. It also lacks all the functions of the
current site, except the most basic. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to
start from scratch, or try to simplify the current site, if that is the
goal. If you think that this stands a better chance of being manageable
and being accepted, please put it forward. It still misses a lot of
content, so it will still be a challenge to keep it simple, no matter
the design. Good information architecture is still necessary to keep
things from growing out of control, especially if you want to keep
coding by hand.
Anyway, effective immediately (and not without some pain), I'll resign
from the website team and from the FAQ. I'd have been happy to work out
a manageable solution if I'd been given the time, but it seems I'm
surpassed, so it's time to pass the torch on. Like I said, I simply lack
the time to invest in other solutions, other then what we've already put
forward. Our choice for TWiki was certainly justifiable, since the basic
idea was to put the content control into the project members' hands, but
the lack of community backing has stagnated the efforts. It also aimed
for a much simpler design and information architecture, yet scalable
enough to let projects grow incrementally without much management
needed. The only fault it had was the word "wiki" in it, despite that we
aimed for a completely closed wiki.
Most of the complexity of the current site comes from it being based on
stand-alone HTML files and integrating a lot of other repository-driven
systems, like the hints, patches and book renderings. Also, it
incorporates a lot of dynamic elements, like the news system and SVN
commit messages. You're bound to run into some of the same problems as
Anderson and I did, unless you want to give up on some of the functions
the website currently performs. Also, running from a script will be
inevitable to glue certain things together, such as book renderings,
hints and patches.
I know the design I built was, at the time, a great succes, fullfilled
many needs and reflected the community spirit from that time. It
externalized the dynamic community which the old site hid so well, and
the TWiki site would explore this idea even further. It was welcomed by
almost everyone in the community. Alas, the community has changed, and
so have I. If people feel that it's time to put something and someone
else forward, please do so; I lack the time and the energy to defend
myself against community members who don't really want me in this place.
Thanks to all of you who supported me all this time and whithout whom
the site wouldn't be what it still is today.
Gerard, feel free to remove my account from the server and appoint a new
website and FAQ leader.
Good luck,
--
Groeten/Greetings,
Jeroen Coumans
www.jeroencoumans.nl